Detaching device.



PATENTED JAN.14, 190s. A. BAENA.. 1 DETAGHING DEVICE. APPLIUATION 4FILEDJULYB. 1907.

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ANDREW BARNA, OF PURITAN, PENNSYLVANIA.

DETACHING- DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 14, 1908.

Application filed July 8. 1907. Serial No. 382.703.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ANDREW BARNA, a citizen of the United States,residing at Puritan, in the county of Cambria and State of Pennsylvania,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Detaching Devices,of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to devices for automatically detaching mine carsfrom their hauling cables, and has for its object to provide certainimprovements in the construction of the same, as will be hereinaftermore definitely pointed out and claimed, reference being had to theaccompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a section of track showing a car in theact of being drawn up the incline leading from the mine just before ithas reached the down grade curve. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same.Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail plan view of the coupling hook attached tothe hauling cable. Fig. 4 is an enlarged side elevation of said couplinghook shown partly in section.

Similar numerals of reference denote corresponding parts in the severalviews.

It is the practice, particularly in coal mines, to curve the trackleading from the mine at the summit of the up-grade, and to provide adown-grade from that point to the dumping point. A power house 1,located at this point is provided with an engine actuating a windingdrum 2 thereon that winds the cable 3 to draw up the cars from the mine.

My improved coupling hook consists of a body portion 4, having formedintegral therewith an engaging arm 5, said body portion and arm forminga V-shaped angle, as shown. Said body portion 4 is bifurcated at itsinner end at 6 to straddle an apertured coupling plate 7, fixed to thecar 8, said plate, when the two are engaged, projecting into thebifurcated portion sufficiently far to permit but slight lateralmovement to said coupling hook.

The coupling pin 9 passes through apertures 10 and 11 in said couplinghook, and is headed at 12 at its lower end, the lower aperture 11 beinglarge enough to permit thev passage of said headed end, while the upperaperture 10 is smaller, to prevent its passage,`though recessed at 13 toreceive said headed end, and thus provide an unobstructed passage forthe reception of the coupling plate in coupling. The coupling hook isalso formed with a projection 14 at its outer end, the. same serving asa hand hold in manipulating the same. At the point where the track curvebegins I provide a guide post 15 for the cable- 2, a guide clip 16receiving and guiding the same.

In operation the end link of the chain 17 at the end of the cable isengaged with the arm 5 of the coupling hook, and the car hauled up theincline from the mine until it reaches a point nearly opposite the post15, where the track begins to curve and to incline downward. At thispoint the turning movementy of the car carries with it the couplinghook, which has but limited lateral play on the coupling plate 7, theresult being that said coupling hook is automatically disengaged fromthe chain 17 in the manner shown in dotted lines, Fig. 3, withoutinterrupting the movement of the car, which continues on the down-gradeto the dumping point. It will be observed that in this de tachingmovement the post 15 acts as a fulcrum for the cable and materiallyassists in the detaching operation.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. A coupling hook for cable drawn cars, embodying a body portion, anengaging arm formed integral therewith and projecting therefrom at anacute angle, and a projection at the junction of said body portion andarm forming a hand piece.

2. The combination with a coupling hook embodying a bifurcated endadapted to straddle a coupling plate, of a coupling pin having a headedlower end and vertically movable in apertures in said bifurcated end,said headed end passing freely through the aperture in the lowerbifurcation and adapted to fit into a recess in the upper bifurcationand to be retained therein against complete withdrawal.

3. The combination With a hauling cable, the combined turning movementof said car a guide post therefor7 and a car hauled thereand theleverage of said post on said cable. 10 by, of a coupling hook connectedWith said In testimony whereof I a'liX my signature, car and detachablyiengaging said cable in in presence of tWo Witnesses.

such manner that the movement of said car ANDREV BAENA. on a curve as itapproaches said guide post Witnesses: will cause said coupling hook tobe auto- P. F. CAMPBELL,

matically disengaged Jfrom said cable through J. J. MCDONNELL.

